Letter from Ukraine
Hannes Lorenzen tells us about war, peace, regulations, EU relations and rural ways in this letter from Ukraine. […]
Hannes Lorenzen tells us about war, peace, regulations, EU relations and rural ways in this letter from Ukraine. […]
A highlight of Cork2 was the sobering presentation of Janez Potočnik of The Rural Investment Support for Europe (RISE) Foundation. he is also Co-Chair of UN International Resource Panel, Former European Commissioner for Environment, and previously of Research. […]
Pesticide victims Laurent Guillou and Stéphane Rouxel have won their cases against former employer Nutréa-Triskalia. The former employees at the Plouisy site of the giant Breton agricultural cooperative Triskalia suffered acute exposures to pesticides in 2009 and 2010. They suffer from hypersensitivity to everyday household chemicals (MCS), a condition that has also been recorded among Gulf war veterans. The decision by the Tribunal des Affaires de Sécurité Sociale (TASS) at Saint Brieuc to award damages to pesticide victims is the first of its kind to recognise MCS in the French justice system. After years of legal battles, their accusations that the massive use of pesticides in food production is an environmental and health scandal are being vindicated. Read: Pesticides – Did Co-op’s Practices Lead to Cancers? MCS is a debilitating condition: in the soundtrack of a campaign video [Paroles-de-Plouisy], Rouxel recounts that in his case it can be triggered by something as trivial as encountering people wearing perfume or after shave. The effects can come hours or days later and include severe headaches as well […]
A recent high level report by Karl Falkenberg stresses “agro-ecology” over “precision farming” as a way to make EU agri-food policy more sustainable. […]
Community Supported Agriculture network Urgenci held their 3rd European CSA meeting last weekend in Ostrava, Czech Republic. See here for the Declaration, as adopted, in full. […]
A father and son team allege shoddy pesticide disposal practices from the past are implicated in their respective cancers. In an English language exclusive, Peter Crosskey has the story. […]
150+ people from 20+ countries are attending Urgenci’s third European CSA gathering in Ostrava this weekend. ARC2020’s Oliver Moore is one of them. Here’s his account of the story so far. […]
A fascinating power play is emerging in France around pesticides. Some noteworthy and challenging pesticide reduction policies policies, such as Ecophyto 2, have emerged. Meanwhile, major politicians are clashing and occasionally out flanking each other. Peter Crosskey unpacks the story for us, in an exclusive article. […]
Despite a positive sounding declaration at Cork 2.0, Rural Development risks serious funding cuts and de-prioritisation post 2020. This is a key message emerging – albeit obliquely – from Cork 2.0, the EU Commission Rural Development conference. Oliver Moore has more. […]
What may turn out to be a very important EU Commission Rural Development event is being held in Cork, Ireland, this coming Monday. Oliver Moore explains why. […]
The CAPSELLA project has just launched an interactive map and is also conducting a stakeholder survey. Oliver Moore has more. […]
In anticipation of the 2015 figures on direct payments distribution, due in a couple of weeks, we highlight a new post by Alan Matthews using the 2014 figures. Matthews shows in detail just how unbalanced CAP payments are between higher and lower income farmers. […]
Karen Hansen-Kuhn of IATP tells us about the Second International Conference on Rural Economies and Agroecology in the Americas, held in Texcoco, Mexico. […]
If you’re craving good films on the food system, Food Tank has put together a list of documentaries and films to inspire, educate, and give viewers some food for thought. Each film explores a different topic in food and agriculture, some with a dash of social equality or a splash of health awareness. Whether you’re a social activist, small farmer, or sustainability advocate, or you just enjoy food, we’re sure you’ll find a food film to further inform and interest you in all things food. This article originally appeared at Food Tank. Here are 19 films to satisfy your food films palette: American Meat: “American Meat” walks viewers through the evolution of animal agriculture and highlights alternative animal husbandry systems that protect the environment and animal welfare. The film features farmer and advocate Joel Salatin, who uses sustainable land management methods, such as rotational grazing, and emphasizes the importance of supporting one’s local foodshed. The film also highlights stories from other farmers nationwide who are raising cows, pigs, and chickens in environmentally sustainable and humane ways. Dive! […]
Part two of a two part series on mechanical and other non-chemical weed management techniques. By Oliver Moore […]
Agricultural and Rural Convention